In 1970, Nixon began selling the Pel-Job brand
In John’s words, it all started back in the mid-1960s when he was working as a sales representative for Electrical Tools Ltd which had a dealership for anything that was driven by a flexible drive. At that time, flexible drives were extensively used in the building industry powering implements like vibrating pokers but when they broke down they had to be sent away for the best part of a week to be repaired and returned. When this occurred, John had to arrange a hired replacement with not a lot of support from his organisation.
As with all entrepreneurial people, John spotted a chance to improve this service to his customers and with the courage of conviction to succeed on his own (after having discussed things with his wife) set up Nixon Hire with just £2,000 in November 1967.
“I owe a tremendous amount to my first employee, Dick Redmond,” says John. “We had worked together at Electrical Tools Ltd and once I’d set myself up in November 1967, he quickly joined me one month later. Together we worked as a team, me as the sales rep as I had a lot of contacts in the building industry here in the north east and Dick had a wealth of product knowledge and was such a tremendous asset in the early days of the new business.”
John recalls how it was a case of hard work, and providing a good service, that were the keys to the successful growth of
Nixon Hire. With other products becoming available such as electrical tools, drills and grinders, this expanded the company’s portfolio. Then in 1970, Stihl saws and disc cutters came to the market and soon every building site and tradesperson would either purchase or hire one and this became very lucrative for Nixon Hire. Soon after that, the company started to take on larger equipment including rollers, generators, site dumpers and of course mini excavators which back then were represented by the Pel-Job brand. It was David Munns, Sales Director at SMT GB who appointed John Nixon as the dealer for Pel-Job 30 years ago in his role as then MD at Pel-Job. To help with this expansion, John’s brothers, Alan and David, joined him in the business with David put in charge of repairing vibrating pokers (under Dick’s supervision) and Alan taking charge of the office management side of the company. Alan and David continued until they took retirement in 1994 but in the meantime, John’s five children all joined the company straight from school to support the running of the business. Today, even after 50 years, John Nixon has an active interest in the day-to-day running of the business although from a slightly adjusted ‘back’ seat. His son Graham is the current Managing Director, supported by sisters Alison and Beverley as HR Directors.
CONTINUED OVERLEAF a THE VOICE MAGAZINE No 33 2018 49
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